Can-filling machine.



A. GERRUTL CAN FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APEH 18, 1901i.

PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905 3 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

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PATENTED OCT. 24,

A. GERRUTI.

GAN FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Amma, 1904.

SHEETSSHEET 2.

No. 802,367. PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905. A. GERRUTI. GAN FILLING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APBJB, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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ANTONIO CERRUTI, OF SAN FRANCISC, (ALIFORNIA.

CMN-IF'lLLlNG MACHINE..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed April 18, 1904. Serial No. 203,624.

Be it known that 1, ANTONIO CnRnUTLa citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Can-Filling Machines; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the class of machines for supplying liquids to cans. These ma chines, though applicable to the filling' of cans with any liquid, whether the liquid alone is to fill the cans or to supplement material of any nature already in the cans, are specially intended for use in fruit canneries to supply the necessary syrup to the fruit previously packed in the cans and are commonly known as syruping-machines.7 My present machine belongs in some respects to that type of these machines described and illustrated in my former patents, No. 341,996, of May 18, 1886, No. 744,048, of November 17, 1903, and No. 744,049, of November 17, 1903, in that 'it is intended primarily, though not essentially, for use in connection with a can having a very small filling-opening in its top, said can being lifted to form a close communication with a delivery or charging tube above and the charge to be assisted in entering thc can by the exercise of pngegmatic pressure upon it.

1n the previous machines the cans were filled in intermittently or periodically presented In the present machine the cans are presented, filled, and discharged in continuous pacity of the machine.

Another feature of the present machine is the use of steam as the elastic-pressure medium for assisting the filling of the cans, whereby in addition to its pressure function it serves by entering the can to heat its contents sufficiently to create what is usually termed a vacuum in the can prior to sealing, which said vacuum has heretofore been obtained by a preliminary or first cooking' which by the use of the steam, as just stated, is rendered unnecessary.

My invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combinations, which 1 shall now describe by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which@ Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of my machine. Fig. 2 is a broken top plar on the line a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of Fig. 2, the feed and delivery devices being omitted and the outer rim of the bedplate broken away. Fig. 4 is a top plan of the machine. Fig. 5 is a detail of the automatic opening device for the lower valve of the charging-tubes- Fig. 6 is an elevation of the cam of said device.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 is a stationary bed mounted on legs 2 and having a hub 3, upon which is mounted rotatively in suitable manner, as by means of the ball-bearings 4, the hub of the can-table. Rotation is imparted to the can-table by means of a shaft 7, to which it is secured, said shaft being driven by power applied to it below through suitable meansas, for example, by the worm 8.

Upon the can-table, which, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. is circular, are carried the canrests 9. These are arranged in a circular or annular series, and each is mounted in the table to be vertically movable by means of a stem 10 passing through the table and carrying a roller 11 on its lower end.

rl`he bed 1 is provided with a circular track 12, upon which the rollers 11 travel. This track, as shown at 13 in Fig. 3, at a portion of its circumference is depressed, said dopressed portion joining the raised portion by the inclines 14. By means of this cam-track and the rollers traveling upon it the can-rests 9 are lifted or allowed to drop, according to the position of the rollers on said track.

Secured to the shaft 7 by their hubs 15 are the holder-plates 16, the peripheries of which are indented or socketed, as shown at 17 in Fig. 2, said indentations serving as guides and holders for the cans 18, which are supported by the rests 9. The cans 18, as shown in Fig. 2, are made with a small filling-opening and a small vent in their tops, as I have described in my previous patent, No. 744,048, above referred to.

Secured to the shaft 7 by its hub 19 is a top guide-plate 20, said plate and the can-table, together with the intervening can -holder plates 16, being all braced together by the posts 21, Fig. 1.

22 represents the charging-tubes. These are in annular series, each tube being carried by the plate 20, through which it passes. The lower end of each tube is provided with a suitable gasket 23, which, lying immediately above the can, forms a tight joint to establish a close communication with said canfilling opening when the can is lifted up to and pressed againstit, as is shown in Fig. 1 and in several instances in Fig. The chargingtubes are supplied through radial branches IOO IIO

24, issuing from a syrup-tank 25, which .hrough said branches and the lower connec tions to be described revolves with the shaft 7. The tank 25 is supplied by a pipe 26, the

Supply being automatically controlled by al valve 27, operated by a float 28. Secured to the bottom or' the tank is asupport 29, which, though here shown as a drum, may be of any suitable shape adapted to raise the syruptank up high enough. To the bottom ot' this support 29 is secured a casing 30,-forming a chamber for distributing whatever elastic fluid is used to assist in the filling of the cans, as l shall presently explain. This chamber is supplied with the elastic iiuid through a pipe 31, passing down through the central sleeve 32 of the tank 25 and through the support 29 and united above by a rotatable coupling 33 to the initial pipe 34, Fig. 1, which said pipe may be su pposed to lead from a source of elastic fluid under pressure, such as an air-compresser or a steam-boiler.

Each charging-tube 22 is provided with a lower valve 35 and an upper valve 36, the space between the valves representing the charge to be delivered to the can. The details of these valves need not be described, it being' sufcient, in view of my previous patent, No. 744,048, above referred to, to state that they operate to open and close alternately-that is to say, when the lower valve is closed the upper is open-and a charge of syrup passes into the tube and rests on the lower valve. Then when the lower valve is open to deliver the charge the upper valve is closed to cut off the syrup-supply and dene the charge, all as in my said previous patent.

Branch tubes 37 for they elastic uid issue from the chamber 30 and enter the upper valves 36 for the same purpose as in my previous patent-namely, to admit pressure to the top of the descending syrup charge to assist its entrance into the can. When, however, the elastic iiuid used is steam, it serves the further purpose or' preliminarily heating the can contents to create the vacuum prior to sealing.

ln order to feed the cans to the table 6, I have a device shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Adjacent to the can-table is a stationary platform 38, upon which are fixed the guide-rails 39, leading to the table, as seen clearly in Fig. 2. An endless chain 40 is mounted upon terminal sprockets 41 and carries spaced arms 42, which project at one portion of their travel into the space between the rails 39. Motion is imparted to this feeder-chain 40 by means of a vertical shaft 43, Fig. 1, which carries on its top one of the terminal sprockets 41. This shaft has a sprocket 44, driven by a chain 45 from asprocket 46 on a short counter-shaft 47, which carries a gear 48, meshing with a gear 49 on the main shaft 7.

The cans 18 are successively placed upon the platform 88 between the arms 42, as seen in Fig. 2., and by Saidarins and guided by the rails 39 they are pushed along to their places upon top of the rests 9, their positions being dened bythe holders 17 of the plates 16, against which holders they are pushed. By comparing Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that this seating of the cans upon the verticallymovable rests takes place at a time when the hold-ers are depressed to a level with the table just before they are lifted to effect the close communication of the can with the overlying charging-tube- To deliver the filled cans, there are the guide-rails 50, (shown in Fig'. 2,) which overlap the upper holder-plate 16 in position to receive the cans between them, and by bending outwardly, as shown, said rails divert the cans onto a conveyerebelt 51, by which they are carried oli. By again comparing Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that this diversion of the can from its place on the rest 9 takes place just as soon as the rest 9 is relieved by the depressed portion 18 of the track 12, which thus withdraws the can from its close communication with'the charging-tube.

In order to automatically operate the valves ofthe charging-tubes, there is the following' mechanism: Rising from the bed 1 on one side, here shown on the right, is a bracket 52, to which is secured a plate 53, Figs. 2 and 4. This plate, as better shown in Fig. 5, carries at its upper end in a socket 54 a sliding contact-pin 55, normally held retracted by a spring 56, acting upon a lever 57, pivoted at 58 to the plate and engaging a stud 59 on the pin, which said stud plays in a slot 60 in the socket 54. To the free bent end of this lever is secured, as seen in Fig. 6, a curved cam-arm 61, which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, projects into the path of the cans. As a can comes in contact with this cam-arm 61 it forces it back outwardly, whereby the lever 57 is rocked on its pivot and is thereby caused to project the pin 55 inwardlynthat is, toward the r0- tating parts of the machine. The lower valve 35 of each charging-'tube is provided with and is operated by a handle-lever 62. The relative positions of this lever and the pin 55 are such that when the pin is thus projected inwardly by the action of the can the lever will come IOO ITO

in contact with it, and thereby open said valve in order to allow the liquid charge to be delivered to the can. It, however, for any reason no can is in place, the pin 55 will remain in its normal retracted position and the valve 35 will not be opened. The upper end of the bracket 52 carries a pin 63, which projects into the path of a lever-handle 64 on the upper valve 36 of the charging-tubes, and its position is such that at the same time that the lower valve 35 is opened, as ljust described. the contact of the'lever-handle 64 with said pin 63 will cause the upper valve to close to deiine the charge and to come to position to admit the compressed elastic iiuid from the branch tube 37 through said Lipper valve to the top of the syrup charge to assist in foreing it into the can. ln order to reverse these valve operations, l have rising from the other side of the bed a bracket 65, carrying a pin 66, projecting' into the path o1" the lever-handle 62 of the lower valve 35 and so arranged with respect to position as to cause said lower valve to close. The bracket 65 also carries a pin 67, which operates by contact with the lever-handle 6s of the upper valve 36 to open said valve and to cut ofi the elastic lluid, whereby a charge is again supplied to the tube. The bed. 1 is formed with a peripheral 'liange 68, and the space between said iiange and the track 12 serves as a troug'h to catch the waste syrup.

A more complete understandingolc the machine will be gained `from the following description ot its operation. The machine having' rotation imparted to it in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, a can is pushed by the leading arm l2 et' the feeder-chain 40 into position on top ol' one of the can-rests 9, which said rest by reason of the roller 11 of its stem 10 being in the depressed portion 13 of the bed-track 12 is down flush with the table. lmniediately after the placing of this can upon the rest the roller 11 of the canrest 9 comes to and rises upon the elevated portion of the bed-track 12, by which said rest is lifted, and the can which it carries is raised up to and pressed against the gasket end 23 of the elntrging-tube 22 which lies just above it, thereby 'forming a close communication with said tube. Then the can coming in contact with the cam-arm 61 causes the contact-pin 55 to be projected, so that the lever-handle 62 of the lower valve 35 coming in contact with said pin 55 opens said lower valve. At the same time the lever-handle 641 of the upper valve 36 coming in contact with pin 68 closes said valve to the syrup and opens it to the compressed elastic iiuid. The charge in the tube being thus deiined and released descends, assisted by the elastic-fluid pressure into the can. This position of the parts continues during the back course ot' 1'0- tation, so that the can has time to be lilled. W hen the can under consideration reaches the other side, the pins 66 and 67 reverse the valves, closing the lower, opening' the upper, and cutting eti' the elastic fluid pressure. rThereupon the can having entered between the rails 50 is shortly dropped down away from its communication with the chargingtubc by reason of the roller 11 of the can-rest 9 reaching the depressed portion 13 of the bed -track 12. The can is `linally by said The operation described in connection with a single can applies to successive cans, and the action is a continuous one.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to securebyLetters Patent, is-

1. ln a can-lilling machine, the combination of a can-table having an annular series ol vertically-movable rests to receive and carry the cans, an annular series of charging-tubes in vertical alinemcntabove said rests, a distributing-chamber in communication with a source of an elastic liuid under pressure, branches from said chamber to the clnu'gingtubes, means `for rotating the can-table. the series of charging-tubes and the distributiiig-chamber in unison, means For elevating' the can-rests du ring a portion ol their travel to lift the cans into and hold them in close communication with the charging-"tubes, means for relieving the can-rests during the remainder of their travel to withdraw the cans from the charging-tubes, and means Vfor the timely control ot' the charge ot said tubes, to deliver it to and cut it o'li from said cans in accordance with the making and breaking' of the communication between said cans and tubes.

2. In a can-filling machine, the combination of a can-table having an annular series of vertically-movable rests to receive and carry the cans, an annular series of charging-tubes in vertical alinement above said rests, a syruptank having branches to supply the chargingtubes, a distributing-chamber in communication with a source ol an elastic l'luid under pressure having branches to the chargingtubes, means for rotating the can-table, the series ot charging-tubes, the syrup-tank and the distributing-chamber .in unison, means for elevating the can-rests during a portion of their travel to li'lt the cans into and hold them in close communication with the chargingtubes, means `for relieving the can-rests during the remainder ot their travel to witlulraw the cans from the charging-tubes, and means for the timely control of the charge o1: said tubes, to deliver it to and cut it oti` from said cans in accordance with the making and breaking of the communication between said cans and tubes.

3. ln a can-lilling machine, the combination of a can-table having an annular series of vertically-movable rests to receive and carry the cans, an annular series oi charging-tubes in vertical alinement above said rests, a syruptank having branches to supply the chargingtubes, a distributing-chamber in communication with a source o1 an elastic l'iuid under pressure having branches to the chargingtubes, means for rotating the can-table, the series of charging-tubes the syrup-tank and the distributing-chamber in unison, means for elevating' the can-rests during a portion o1I their travel to lift the cans into and hold them in close communication with the charging- IOO IIC)

IZO

tubes, means for relieving the can-rests during the remainder of their travel to Withdraw the cans from the charging-tubes, and an upper and a lower valve in each charging-tube 'adapting it to receive, dene and deliver a stated liquid charge, the branches from the elastic-iuid-distributing chamber communieating' with the charging-tubes through their upper valves in such manner as to admit the elastic fluid under pressure on top of the liquid charge While being` delivered to the can.

t. In a can-filling' machine the combination of the rotating table With its vertically-movable annular series of can-rests, the rotating annular series of charging-tubes alined above said rests, a valve controlling the delivery of the charge from eaeh tube and the means for opening said valve comprising a cam-lever in the path of the approaching can, a slidingr pin adapted to be projected to operative position b v said lever and a handle on the valve to contact with said pin when projected. l

5. In a can-filling machine the combination of the rotating,` can-table havingthe annular series of vertically-movable can-rests, the peripherally-indented overlying plates rotating` with said table and forming holders for the cans on said rests, the upper guide-plate rotating with the can-table, the annular series of charging-tubes fitted through said upper guide-plate and alined above the can-rests, the feeding-platform with its guide-rails for directing the cans to the rests and holders, the traveling; arms for pushing the cans to place, the curved deflecting guide-rails to remove the cans from the rests and the conveyer to receive and deliver said cans.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ANTONIO GERRUTI.

W itnesses:

VALTER F. VANE, D. B. RICHARDS. 

